Meeting of the Executive Committee Minutes

13 Aug 2002

INTERNET CORPORATION FOR ASSIGNED NAMES
AND NUMBERS

A meeting of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("ICANN")
was held by teleconference on 13 August 2002. The following members
of the Committee were present by telephone: Vint Cerf, Hans Kraaijenbrink,
Stuart Lynn, and Nii Quaynor. Alejandro Pisanty and Sang-Hyon Kyong joined
the call while it was in progress. Also present on the teleconference
was Louis Touton, ICANN's Vice-President, Secretary, and General Counsel.

The meeting was called to order by Dr. Cerf at 14:03 UTC (10:03 am U.S.
Eastern Standard Time).

Approval of Minutes

Dr. Cerf noted that draft minutes of the Executive Committee's meetings
of 26 March and 19 July 2002 had been circulated and invited a motion
for their approval. Upon motion of Mr. Kraaijenbrink (seconded by
Dr. Quaynor), the Executive Committee unanimously adopted the following
resolution:

Resolved [EC02.7] that the minutes of the meetings
of the Executive Committee held on 26
March and 19 July 2002
are hereby approved and adopted as presented.

Interim Support for GAC
Functions

At this point in the meeting, Dr. Pisanty joined.

Dr. Cerf noted that a short-term problem had arisen in funding for
the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) secretariat. Dr. Lynn recounted
that, since the GAC began functioning in March 1999, the Government of
Australia has provided (and funded) secretariat and chair services for
the GAC. At the March 2002 Accra meeting, the Australian government announced
that it would be stopping its provision of the GAC secretariat functions
at the conclusion of the June 2002 ICANN meeting in Bucharest and that
Dr. Twomey's services as chair would stop at the conclusion of the
October 2002 ICANN meeting in Shanghai. The Australian government's decision
to stop providing secretariat and chair services, however, was made before
the onset of ICANN reform activities in late February 2002. To ensure
uninterrupted services in support of the GAC at a level necessary for
the GAC to participate fully in reform discussions, at the Bucharest meeting
the Australian government indicated its willingness to continue providing
both secretariat and chair services through the conclusion of the ICANN
Shanghai meeting in late October, provided supporting funding for this
period could be found from other sources.

During the above discussion, Dr. Kyong joined the meeting.

Because of governmental budget cycles and the fact that the GAC has no
scheduled meetings between June and October, governments have not been
able to come forward in the time since Bucharest with sufficient funding
to support the GAC secretariat and chair. This has interfered with the
continuation of number of GAC activities, including liaison with governments
regarding geographic
and geopolitical names in .info and governmental outreach activities.
Accordingly, Dr. Lynn moved, with Dr. Kyong's second, that the
Executive Committee adopt the following resolution:

[2] Whereas, at the March 2002 ICANN meeting in Accra, the Australian
Government indicated that it would be unable to continue funding the
GAC chair and secretariat functions past the time of ICANN's Bucharest
meeting in June 2002;

[3] Whereas, in resolution
02.34 the ICANN Board expressed its deep appreciation to the Australian
Government for its longstanding support and leadership in regard to
ICANN;

[4] Whereas, the ongoing ICANN evolution and reform process makes
it essential that the private-sector ICANN community communicate and
coordinate closely with governments, so that governmental concerns and
suggestions can be appropriately taken into account;

[5] Whereas, in view of the consequent need for an uninterrupted
secretariat function for the GAC, at the ICANN Bucharest meeting the
Australian Government indicated a willingness to continue to provide
services for the GAC provided it receives reimbursement of its costs;

[6] Whereas, the GAC Secretariat provides valuable consultation
to ICANN staff regarding its communications with governments on redelegations
and other matters;

[7] Whereas, the GAC Secretariat acts as a valuable source of
information to governments regarding ICANN policies and procedures;

[8] Whereas, the GAC has formed a committee that is studying how
the chair, secretariat, and other support functions for the GAC can
best be provided and funded in the future, but that committee's report
is not expected to be ready for action by the GAC before the ICANN Shanghai
meeting in late October 2002;

[9] Whereas, the Executive Committee has therefore concluded that
it is appropriate to provide reimbursement to the Australian Government
for its costs of providing chair and secretariat services to the GAC
through 31 October 2002, after which other arrangements for the provision
of these services can come into operation;

[10] Resolved that the President is authorized to provide reimbursement
to the Australian government for its costs of providing chair and secretariat
services to the GAC, in a total amount not to exceed US$75,000, for
the period ending 31 October 2002, after which alternative arrangements
by the GAC to provide these functions can be implemented.

(Bracketed numbers above are for ease of reference.) In the ensuing discussion,
various amendments were proposed, all of which were accepted as friendly
amendments:

a. Clause [4] was revised to emphasize that continued secretariat services
is particularly important during the evolution and reform process.

b. A new recital was added immediately after clause [5] noting the
importance of governmental views on how ICANN can best serve the public
interest.

c. The modifier "actual" was inserted before "costs"
in clauses [9] and [10].

d. The time period for which costs are eligible to be reimbursed was
extended from 31 October to 15 November 2002, so that arrangements made
by the GAC at Shanghai can be put in place before the funding specified
by this resolution expires.

The Executive Committee then voted unanimously to adopt the resolution
as amended, which read:

Whereas, at the March 2002 ICANN meeting in Accra, the Australian Government
indicated that it would be unable to continue funding the GAC chair
and secretariat functions past the time of ICANN's Bucharest meeting
in June 2002;

Whereas, in resolution
02.34 the ICANN Board expressed its deep appreciation to the Australian
Government for its longstanding support and leadership in regard to
ICANN;

Whereas, the timing of the ongoing ICANN evolution and reform process
makes it essential that the private-sector ICANN community communicate
and coordinate closely with governments during this period, so that
governmental concerns and suggestions can be appropriately taken into
account;

Whereas, in view of the consequent need for an uninterrupted secretariat
function for the GAC, at the ICANN Bucharest meeting the Australian
Government indicated a willingness to continue to provide services for
the GAC provided it receives reimbursement of its costs;

Whereas, the GAC provides a vital channel for consultation regarding
views of governments on how ICANN can best serve the public interest;

Whereas, the GAC Secretariat provides valuable consultation to ICANN
staff regarding its communications with governments on redelegations
and other matters;

Whereas, the GAC Secretariat acts as a valuable source of information
to governments regarding ICANN policies and procedures;

Whereas, the GAC has formed a committee that is studying how the chair,
secretariat, and other support functions for the GAC can best be provided
and funded in the future, but that committee's report is not expected
to be ready for action by the GAC before the ICANN Shanghai meeting
in late October 2002;

Whereas, the Executive Committee has therefore concluded that it is
appropriate to provide reimbursement to the Australian Government for
its actual costs of providing chair and secretariat services to the
GAC through 15 November 2002, after which other arrangements for the
provision of these services can come into operation;

Resolved [EC02.8] that the President is authorized
to provide reimbursement to the Australian Government for its actual
costs of providing chair and secretariat services to the GAC, in a total
amount not to exceed US$75,000, for the period ending 15 November 2002,
after which alternative arrangements by the GAC to provide these functions
can be implemented.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 14:29 UTC
(10:29 am U.S. Eastern Standard Time).

_______________________
Louis Touton
Secretary

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